ANTIPOLO. – Keanu Jahns continued his stellar form from his near-miss at Splendido Taal last July, carding a sensational seven-under-par 64 Wednesday to take a slim one-shot lead over Enrico Gallardo in the rain-hit ICTSI Forest Hills Classic at the Nicklaus course here.
Jahns navigated the challenging conditions with ease, firing eight birdies against a lone bogey to secure the lead in the opening round of the P2 million championship.
An hour-long rain delay did little to slow Jahns’ momentum. After a fiery start through the first 12 holes, he birdied the par-5 16th and finished his round with six straight pars, delivering a championship-caliber 30-34 round.
“I managed the course very well,” Jahns said, attributing his success to his steady driving and sharp iron play. His long-range putting, which saw him sink birdies from 15, 20, and 25 feet, was a particular highlight.
“The greens were a bit softer, so the balls were stopping faster, but I made a lot of long putts, and that really highlighted my round,” he added.
Jahns knows that a hot start won’t secure his first Philippine Golf Tour title. Two months ago at Splendido, he closed with a bogey-free 67 but fell just short, losing by one stroke to veteran Tony Lascuña in the ICTSI Splendido Championship.
That near-miss has only sharpened his determination, as he came out firing in this P2 million event, the seventh leg of the PGT circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Equally impressive was Gallardo, who came out swinging with a 65, lighting up the course with four consecutive birdies starting at No. 8. Despite a bogey on No. 14, he bounced back with three birdies over the final four holes, posting his best opening round since turning professional in 2017.
“Yeah, this is my strongest start, and hopefully, I can maintain it for the rest of the week,” said Gallardo, who has had a couple of Top 7 finishes at Caliraya Springs and Lakewood earlier this year.
Gallardo, like many players, had to deal with the rain delay but stayed focused throughout.
“I didn’t let the stoppage affect me. I just did some stretching and focused on taking it one shot at a time,” he said.
Club pro Rolando Garalde made his presence felt with a 67, giving him solo third. His familiarity with the tight, hilly layout of Forest Hills proved vital as he birdied five of the first 11 holes, spurred on by the enthusiastic support of caddies holding placards in his honor.
Aidric Chan, continuing his solid form from a recent runner-up finish at the recent BRG Open of the Asian Development Tour in Vietnam, carded a 68, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 sixth, for fourth.
Apo leg champion Jhonnel Ababa and Lakewood Championship winner Sean Ramos both turned in 69s, sharing fifth with amateur Carl Corpus in a tightly packed leaderboard in the 72-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Veteran Tony Lascuña, fresh off a win in challenging conditions at Splendido, shot a 70, marred by a double bogey on No. 12 and a dropped shot on the 17th. He settled for a share of eighth place alongside Toru Nakajima, Philippine Masters champion Angelo Que, Rupert Zaragosa, and John Michael Uy.
Mars Pucay, Hyun Ho Rho, and Lanz Uy all finished with even-par 71s for a share of 13th in the tournament sponsored by ICTSI and backed by PGTI official apparel Kampfortis Golf.
